Watchmen: Chimera
by Skyception
Summary: Many believe there is hope for New York City, while others, like Rorschach and The Comedian know the city is damned. This follows the lives of The Silk Spectre, Night Owl, Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach, and my OC, Elle Mercer.
1. Chapter 1: Provenance

Watchmen: Chimera

Chapter One: Provenance

New York City was dirty, dusty. Not just on the inside, but the outside as well. This city was filthy with murder, rape, sex, and prostitution. Still, people thought that somehow, it could be saved. Rorschach knew this city was doomed. He knew there was no saving it. The only other person that had thought the same way was The Comedian. The Comedian and Rorschach never saw eye to eye, nor have they ever communicated this topic with each other, but this could surely be agreed upon them. The rest of The Watchmen have retired their hero work, while Rorschach continued with his 'masked vigilante' persona, and Dr. Manhattan was kept on retainer by the government. There was one person, though amidst all of this crime and evil saw the best in things, as if she were blind to the world. Ellasophia Mercer, 25, pre-school teacher.

Elle, as her family members referred to her, walked into her classroom and tied her blonde, curly locks into a messy pony tail and set her glasses down on her desk. She slipped off her flats, as working in a preschool gave her the luxury of not having to wear shoes, and went to the door to greet her students as they came in. One by one, she greeted every 6 or 7 year old that walked in. The last to arrive, was Trevor. Elle takes his hand, and guides him to a table. She sits the young boy in a chair and kneeled down next to the dark, longer haired boy, and says, "How are you doing, Trevor?" still hand in hand with him.

"I am good, Ms. Mercer. How are you?" He responded.

"I'm holding up, Trevor, thank you." Trevor was blind, and not that she would admit it, he was her favorite student. Elle was always so fascinated by him; he was so much more 'down to earth' than the other kids.

Elle hands Trevor some Play-Doh, and places his hands on the table. While Trevor was feeling and squishing the 'Doh with his small hands, Elle handed out coloring books, and her class of 14 rowdy children rushed to the crayon bin in the front of the room. The students start coloring, some of them very focused on their masterpieces, while others laughing and coloring their shirts and tables.

Meanwhile, Dr. Manhattan was putting together some sort of elaborate machine. The pieces were small, but they each had some sort of complex shape that made them look all uniform to each other. The glowing blue light radiating from Manhattans skin glistened off of the metal of his machine. Laurie walked in wearing some sort of enticing lingerie. She lets out a purposeful cough, in intent to gain her lovers attention. The blue colored man doesn't draw his attention from his work, still completely focused on using his telekinetic energy to move the pieces about. Laurie's chocolate colored eyes gaze over his project. As she walks behind Manhattan, she says, "Jon, can we get to bed?"

"I must finish this project. I don't need to sleep." He responds, moving the pieces of machinery about.

"I didn't mean to _sleep_. It seems like you love this hunk of metal more than me."

"Rorschach brought this to me to figure out, and if that man needs help from us, it must be important; especially since he had to break in here to get to me. It has nothing to do with love." He stated, coldly.

"It has everything to do with _love_." Laurie said as she turned on her heel, and walked out.

Laurie did love Jon, but there were plenty more things she hated about him. Laurie always had a certain, longing, for Daniel, the Night Owl. She is very careful not to let anyone, not even Daniel know about her feelings. Although Daniel was retired, he kept most of the equipment that The Watchmen used. Rorschach, his partner before Daniel retired, had only his grapple gun, and his constantly morphing 'Rorschach' ink blot mask. When all of the other Watchmen quit, Rorschach continued to fight crime and use his extraordinary detective skills in vigilante work. Most people nowadays, view him as a villain. Rorschach never really viewed himself as anything, not a hero, nor villain. Rorschach thinks of what he does more of his job, and he has grown tough from this duty. He no longer had fear in killing a man.

The first time Rorschach killed a man, he was aghast. The fear, at first, had just consumed him. Like a gust of wind going through him, the fear faded quickly and his mind went black. Hacking the pedophiles that killed that little girl's skull. For some reason, he could only focus on the blood splattering on his mask, adding color to the black and white inkblots that covered his mysterious face. Rorschach knew he was insane, but he also knew he wasn't evil. He had secrets, as many as any being (maybe even more); and as many wouldn't expect, he also had feelings, strong ones at that. Rorschach used to view Night Owl as a brother, and loved him like one too. He would never tell Daniel that. No, that would cause him to let his guard down. Most would think Rorschach was incapable of feelings, even Daniel.

One Friday night, Rorschach was walking the streets. Like usual, thugs tried picking fights with him, prostitutes and bums booed at him and called him names.

"Go back to hell where you came from!" a man on the street shouted at him.

Rorschach, learned to not be phased by the comments. The masked man came to the end of 4th Street, and just before he turned the corner, he heard an ear piercing scream. Rorschach turned and walked down the alley where he heard the scream. He saw a rather large man, surrounded by a bunch of other large men. They all looked fairly dirty, and almost all of them had rugged beards. There seemed to be about 6 of them. Rorschach stealthily walked to the opposite side of the alley where he noticed a leather clad man pinning a younger, small blonde woman to the brick wall of the building. For some reason, he could not tell if the large, leather clad man was making the woman appear so small, or if she really did have that 'innocent' look about her. The large man began to run his hand up her sage green dress.

"P-please stop, just l-let me go!" the blonde girl said, sobbing.

The big man grabs tightly onto her thigh, and begins to unbutton the top of her dress. After he top undergarments are revealed to the group, Rorschach drops down on him. The rest of the gang members close in on him, but Rorschach reacts quickly, punching a man in the face, and then elbowing his stomach. Rorschach grabs the man whom he punched by the hair, and knocks him into the other gang members. He is still able to grab one more man, which he does, and runs his face into the brick wall. The man's face blood stains the wall, and drops to the ground.

The blonde girl has her eyes squeezed shut, and is hugging the wall. Rorschach glances at her, and turns to walk away. The girl peeks with one eye, and let's go of the wall. Rorschach is halfway down the alley when he hears a call, "Wait!"

Rorschach stops for a second, but then continues to walk. The blonde girl comes running up and grabs his trench coat sleeve. He stops, and looks over his shoulders at the bright eyed woman.

"T-thank you… you saved me." The girl said nervously, and softly.

"You don't need to thank me." Rorschach said in a gruff voice.

"Who are you?" She asked, still gripping onto his sleeve.

"Doesn't matter. Surprised you don't know."

"How can I thank you properly? You saved my life, that's kind of a big deal."

"I said don't. You talk a lot."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Let's hope not" And with that, Rorschach was leaving.

"My name is Elle, by the way!" She shouts after him.

Rorschach continued to walk, not looking back.


	2. Chapter 2: Cogitate

Watchmen: Chimera

Chapter Two: Cogitate

_Rorschach's Journal:_

_January 6__th__, 1983_

_I saved a girl last night. She asked a lot of goddamn questions. Can tell she will become a problem. The questions she was asking, "Who are you?" "Will I ever see you again?" The way she kept thanking me, her words were so soft that I had to back away. It was like every word from her mouth tickled and left goose bumps on my skin. I have a burning hatred for the stink and filth of the human race. I wouldn't want to come into contact with any human being, but her. Strangely, I wanted to see her again._

Later that night, Elle returns to her apartment. She stumbles in through the door, and throws herself on her cheap, brown colored plaid sofa. She shuts her eyes, and begins to think. What had happened not an hour ago was the scariest thing to happen to her, but that isn't what she was thinking about.

"Who was that man?" She couldn't help but think. "Why was he so eager to leave? And how was his mask able to move and morph like it did?"

All of these thoughts came jogging into her mind, but she did know one thing for certain; she had to see him again.

Meanwhile, at Daniels house, Laurie rang the doorbell. Daniel opened to find a distressed Laurie. "Laurie, are you alright?" he asked.

"I am sorry to barge in here on you like this, Dan. But I just needed to go to a place where Jon wasn't, and well, Rorschach and I don't get along, and you are the only other person I know." Laurie said as she looked up to notice her wet brown eyes.

"It's alright, Laurie. Come in, please." Daniel said, stepping to the side to let her in.

Daniel ushers Laurie to the couch. As they both take a seat, Daniel asks, "Laurie, what is bothering you?"

"It is Jon. He has completely lost what was left of his mind." Laurie responds.

"How so?"

"He tends to ignore me at times, and normally I wouldn't be this hysterical from it. But it seems like he has completely forgotten what it is like to be human. He has no regard for human life anymore. He said to me the other day, 'If the entire human race were to go extinct tomorrow, the universe would not even notice.' It's like he doesn't even realize, or care, that I am human; or like he gave up on trying."

Daniel puts his hand on her shoulder. "He does care, or else he wouldn't have stayed." He says to her. Laurie glances up at her former friend and smiles.

"Thank you, Dan. I am so sorry for intruding like this; I just needed somebody to talk to."

"Really Laurie, it's no trouble." Daniel said, his eyes gazing deeply into hers. They become close, close enough for their noses to touch. Suddenly, a loud knock came from the door. Nervously backing away from Laurie, Daniel hurries to the door. He takes a deep breath and opens the door. Rorschach. The masked man, without invitation, enters his former partner's home. Daniel turns on his heels and looks back at Rorschach.

"How can I help you, Rorschach?" Daniel said.

"Blue prints. I need the blue prints for a weapon Adrian was designing. Nuclear, you know what one I am talking about." Rorschach says, looking down at his shoes, faced away from Daniel.

"What do you plan on doing?" Laurie asked out of curiosity as she approached the men.

"Saving all of our asses. Where are the prints?" Rorschach said as he walked to the basement door.

The basement held almost every piece of equipment that the Watchmen ever used, and multiple things that belonged to the Minutemen as well.

"Hey! You can't just go around, barging in here and look through Dan's things!" Laurie said as she paced after Rorschach.

Rorschach quickly turned to her, and in an impatient voice said, "You would think someone would be a bit more grateful I was saving your shit hole of a city."

Daniel walked up and in attempt to break up their argument said, "Stop it, both of you. Rorschach, I don't have the blue prints. If you need them that badly, talk to Hollis." And without a word, Rorschach turned and left the house, leaving the door open on his way out.

The next day was Sunday, and to Elle's advantage, that meant no work. Usually, she liked being at work, but she had a goal to figure just who this masked man was. Elle woke up fairly early, like she always has, and made tea. She never drank coffee, she hated the aftertaste. She pulled her long, curly blonde locks into a tight ponytail, and stood in front of the mirror, glaring at her eyes. 10 years ago, Elle was in a horrible accident, which caused damage to the iris of her right eye, causing her to go blind and lose pigmentation in that eye. Her right eye was a light, icy, almost translucent blue, while her left eye was the same forest green it had always been. Elle has always been so insecure by this, in fact, she can never look somebody in the eyes while she is talking or listening to them.

Elle left her apartment and walked to the nearest coffee shop, where she saw a 'WANTED' sign. A man named Rorschach is wanted for the murder of two cops. Below, was a picture of the masked man who saved her. "No," she thought "this couldn't be. The man who saved me was a hero." Elle refused to believe her murdered to cops in cold blood, and with that, she folded the paper up and put it into her blouse pocket. As she walked into the coffee shop, she bumped into a tall man wearing a nice suit.

"I am so sorry! I have always been terribly clumsy," She said frantically.

"Don't worry, it is fine!" Said the man, politely. The man stuck his hand out for her to shake. "Ben. Benjamin Drake."

Elle politely shakes his hand and smiles, "My name is Elle."

"Well, nice to meet you, Elle."

It didn't take long for the two to get acquainted, and a few moments later they were talking over a cup of coffee. Elle found Ben very intriguing. He had perfectly gelled back hair, and dark eyes.

"So how long have you been a detective?" Elle asked.

"7 years today." He responded, his eyes fixed on hers.

"Well then I think this calls for celebration," She said holding up her foam coffee cup. "Cheers."

Ben touches his glass to hers, and they both take a sip. Her eyes meet with his, and she begins to laugh, after realizing the silliness of what that had just done. Ben lets out a small laugh as well, setting down his steaming foam cup of black coffee. Elle pulls the folded up piece of paper from her pocket and hands it to the detective.

"Well, Detective Drake, what can you tell me about this man?" she asks him.

"Rorschach? A very wanted man, that's for sure. I know he is a sociopath, if he ever got caught they would probably hold him in a padded cell instead of a barred one. Why?"

"Do you think he killed those two cops?" she asked, taking the flyer back from Ben.

"Yeah, I do. But I think he did what he did within reason. This city is overflowing with evil, murder, and rape. I think that The Watchmen were our only hope. He is the only thing left of that."

Ben was staring intently into Elle's eyes, and she responded by looking into her lap.

"I am sorry; it's just that you have the most incredible eyes I have ever seen. What happened?" he asked her.

"T-thank you." She responded sheepishly. "I have to go." And with that, she quickly stood up, and rushed out of the café.

"Wait!" Ben called after her, but to no avail.


	3. Chapter 3: Coerce

Watchmen: Chimera

Chapter Three: Coerce

_Rorschach's Journal:_

_January 7__th__, 1983_

_The cold air of January blistered by skin, yet somehow all of the whores and hustlers didn't seem to mind. I am an outcast, and I enjoy it. Being on the outside allows me to observe the stench and the filth of humanity. We are all just animals. Somewhere, someone's heart is being ripped in two because their partner is a nymphomaniac courting pleasures to sex fiends and politicians. Kids committing suicide, fathers running from their wives and children. Murder. I have seen what grimy muck lies on top of this disgrace we call human life. I have also seen the inner core, and it isn't so different._

Dr. Manhattan had almost completed putting the pieces together from the mysterious machine. It was big, buy small enough to hold in his hands. It was slightly heavy and very oddly shaped with metal parts poking out the top. Manhattan had figured long ago what it was; in fact, he knew what it was as soon as he saw the scatter of pieces Rorschach had brought to him. It was a nuclear bomb. Where and how Rorschach found it, he was uncertain. Although he debated it, he refused to contact Adrian, who used Ozymandias nowadays for show. Through his studies with the machine, he must not have noticed that Laurie had not been home. Either that or he just didn't seem to mind. About an hour later, Laurie walked through the door to find her lover still occupied on the same project.

"Did you even notice I left?" She asked him, cocking her hip to the side.

"Yes. You went to see Daniel Drieberg." He responded, not looking up from his work.

"Jon, it wasn't like –"

"I understand. He is an old friend, and you needed comfort. You feel trapped and alone here."

"God, Jon. I hate it when you do that. And it isn't even like that! It's like every day you forget more and more what it's like to be human! I am tired of being just on the outside of your little world!" Laurie explained as she pushed him away.

"I deeply apologize if it seems that way. But nonetheless, you will storm out, slamming the door behind you, and go visit Daniel again."

"Why do you do this Jon? Huh? How do you know that, I thought you could only see your future?"

"I can. I only made inferences about the Daniel detail."

"I am tired of this, Jon. I am leaving. Try seeing your future without me in it, would you?" She said as she walked into her bedroom to pack up her travel case.

Daniel was working in the basement on Archie, when he hears a loud knock on the front door. He grabs a rag and wipes off his oily hands. As he approaches the front door, the knocks get louder and louder. Daniel looks through the peephole to find Laurie. He unlocks the 6 locks of his front door to see Laurie's deep brown eyes, reddened, as if she were crying.

"What's wrong, Laurie? Come in, please." He said, stepping to the side invitingly, to let her in.

In the kitchen, he hands Laurie a steaming cup of hot tea. She kindly accepts, but sets the cup down rather than taking a sip.

"What's going on, Laurie?" he asked her.

"I left Jon." She replied.

"Oh, I am sorry. Look, I am sure you guys will be fine." He reassured his friend.

"No, Dan. I mean I _left _him. I don't have anywhere to go." She said, as Daniel glanced at her feet, where he noticed her travel case.

"Well you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Dan. Really." She said smiling up at him.

Dan smiles back at Laurie and says, "I want to show you something." He leads Laurie to the basement, and down the two flights of stairs. Once in the giant, underground cave, Laurie looks around, astonished.

"Wow!" She gasps.

"Yeah. Pretty amazing, right?" Dan smiles at her.

"Amazing? Amazing doesn't even cut it! I can't believe you kept all off this stuff; your costume, Archie, everything!"

Laurie walks over to the display case where the Night Owl II is being displayed, and gently runs her fingers down the torso of the costume.

"This is, I don't even have a word for what this is, Dan. Either you are really smart, or you never really retired." She said, touching the attire.

"Well then I must be extremely smart then." He laughs.

Laurie looks at her friend, then back to the costume.

"What the hell are we doing, Dan?"

"What do you mean?" He asks, confused.

"I mean, why did we stop it, huh? Don't you miss it? The adrenaline? The rush?"

"I don't think I like where you are going with this."

"Come on, Dan. You can't tell me you've never missed it, not once since we stopped?"

"As much as any guy would miss an old job he quit."

"I say we go back out there. Just tonight. Find some trouble and kick some ass like we used too." She said, pulling his arm to his old costume.

Daniel thinks for a second. He looks at his old uniform, then back to her. Daniel hasn't been out there since the Watchmen split. As a matter of fact, he hasn't lifted a weight since they stopped crime fighting. He couldn't just throw himself back out there, could he?

Daniel looked at Laurie, and smiled. "Let's go."


End file.
